US1346123A

US1346123A - Internal-combustion engine

Info

Publication number: US1346123A
Application number: US235148A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frederick C Guerrlich
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1918-05-17
Filing date: 1918-05-17
Publication date: 1920-07-13
Anticipated expiration: 1937-07-13

Description

' F. 0. GUERRLICHL INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYI7. 1918.

1,346, l 23. Patent d July 13, 1920.

j v 14 t 3 L em fi INVENTOR.

W1 TNESSES- I mmm. Mm

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK C. GUERRLICH, 0F STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be-it known that I, FREDERICK C. GUERR- LIGH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to improvements in internal combustlon englnes. The invention finds one advantageous use in aeronautic engines in that means are provided which render the internal combustion engine more reliable and satisfactory for aeronautic service. The invention is, however, capable of other and advantageous uses, as will later appear.

It is well known that aeroplane engines are subject to serious difficulties which are caused by the variations in atmospheric pressure encountered while the aeroplane is in flight. The high altitudes attained and the rapid transitions from high to lower altitudes cause large and at times rapid variations in the pressure and density of the air supplied to the engine. Not only do these barometric changes cause irregularity in the running of the engine, but there is a serious loss of power when the aeroplane is in the higher altitudes, due to the lowered degrees of compression and the fact that decreased weights of fuel mixture are supplied to the en ine. This invention is concerned, among ot er things, with the elimination of the difiiculties heretofore encountered in aeronautic motors.

The invention has for its broad object to provide means whereby the air and fuel supplied to an internal combustion engine may be maintained constant at any desired predetermined pressure and density, irrespective of variations in atmospheric pressure.

Another object of the invention is to provide in combination with an internal combustion engine and adequate mechanical pumping means to deliver air to the carbureter of the engine, a relief valve to maintain the pressure and density of the pumped air constant, the valve being characterized in that entrapped air is utilized as the force to hold the valve in closed position and in that variations in atmospheric conditions are prevented from affecting the operation of the valve.

Another object of the invention is the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1920.

Application filed May 17, 1918. Serial No. 235,148.

provision of power-operated pumping means 1n combination with the engine and its carbureter for the purpose of increasing the power obtainable from the engine without varying its dimensions. Other objects and advantages will appear n the following description and in the illustrative embodiment of the invention in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of an internal combustion engine.

embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; A s

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the pressure regulator shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary .sectional view showing a modification of the regulator; and

F 1g. 5 1s a fragmentary sectional view ghpwlng a further modification of the regua or.

Referring to these drawings in detail and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2: A represents an internal combustion engine of any suitable type, and the invention is, in the main, independent of the particular constructional details of the parts of engine A. It will therefore suffice to state that the cylinders, pistons, piston rods, crankshaft and crank case of the engine are represented in illustrative form by reference letters 5, 0, d, e and 7, respectively. The intake manifold of the engine is indicated at g, and h is a suitable carbureter connected to manifold g.

Carbureter h is supplied with fuel by suitable means (not shown) through an inlet pipe 11, preferably fitted with a non-return valve k, and with air by means of an inlet P P J- According to my invention, I provide an air-tight inclosure for the carbureter, h, as a casing 6, and all the parts which pass through the casing are arranged so as to prevent the inflow or outflow of air to or from the latter. Thus, pipe 2' and the operating rod j of the 'carbureter throttle valve enter the casing through suitable stuiiingboxes 7 and 8, respectively, and the joint between the intake manifold g and easing 6 may be sealed by a gasket 9. In order to supply air to the intake j, a pipe 10 is connected at one end to casing 6 and at the other end to suitable mechanical pumping means. Obviously, such means may be of any desired type, and, merely by way of tons being arranged to cooperate with the crank case for this purpose. Thus, the crank case f is divided by partitions is, into a plurality of compartments Z, one for each cylinder 6 of the engine, to form pump cylin'ders. Each compartment Z is provided with an air intake valve, conventionally indicated at 11 (Fig. 2), which valve opens by suction on the upstroke of piston ,c to admit air into the compartment. The pipe 10, de-

scribed, is connected, as indicated in Figs. 1

and 2, vto each of the compartments Z, and in each of the connections is an outwardlyopening non-return valve, conventional y .indicated at 12. It will thus be seen that on the down-stroke of each piston, air, taken into compartments Z on the up-stroke of the pistons, will be compressed and.- delivered through pipe 10 to the casing 6 and thus to carbureter 71. Obviously, the capacity of the pumping means described may readily be made anything desired by variation of the proportions illustrated. 7

It is desired to maintain the air in casing 6 at a constant predetermined pressure and density, irrespective of pressure variations outside the casing. .To accomplish this result, a pressure regulator B is associated with pipe 10 as'indicated in Fig. 1. The regulator is. best shown in, and will be described in connection with, its separate illustration in Fig. 3. The regulator B is provided with two spaced

compartments

13 and 14, the former being always in com-. munication with pipelO, as shown. Intermediate the

chambers

13 and 14 is a chamand the latter constitutes a cylinder in which a piston18 on the stem of valve 17 may move. The piston 18 is arranged to be acted upon by a constant pressure to hold valve 17 in the closed position illustrated.

Preferably, this constant pressure is obtained by a body of air entrapped in the upper portion of a chamber 19 which at all times communicates with chamber 14. The lower parts of

chambers

14 and 19 may, as illustrated, receive a body of oil or the like, the arrangement being such that the oil acts as a transmitting medium between the entrapped body of air and piston 18 and functions as an oil seal to prevent the escape of the entrapped air past the piston. WVhile the oil seal is desirable, it is not absolutely essential and is illustrated merely as a simple means for preventing the escape of the entrapped air. Chamber 19 is provided with a pet-cock 20 which is normally closed and is provided solely for the purpose of admitting air to the chamber, as will later ap ear.

t is particularly to be noted that the adjacent faces of valve-17 and piston 18 are both exposed to atmospheric pressure, and

in order to remove, atmosphericpressure as a factor in the operation of the pressure regulator, the area of the under face of valve 17 is made equal to that of the upper face of'piston 18. Thus, atmospheric pres-.

sure acts equally on valve 17 and piston 18 and in opposite directions, so that the re= sultant effect is zero. The area of the upper face of valve 17 relative to the area of the lower face of piston 18 isvnot important as it has no eifect upon the maintenance of a pear, with air at substantially normal atmospheric pressure.

The operation of the pressure regulator will now be described. The pet-cock 20 is opened while valve 17 is held in closed position, whereby air may be admitted into the upper part of chamber 19. After the petcook 20 has been closed, it will be apparent that valve 17 will open as soon as the pressure in pipe 10 exceeds a predetermined value, which is substantially that existing in chamber 19, but not exactly in the illustrated embodiment of the invention due to the slight difference in area between the effective top face of valve 17 and the bottom face of the piston 18. The valve is opened by the moving force of the pressure in the inclosure 6 when it is greater than the pressure of the moving force in the ,chamber 19, and closed by the moving force of the pressure in the chamber 19 when it is the greater.

Obviously, the valve may be made to open at-any other predetermined pressure, as desired. For example, the pressure at which valve 17 will open may be increased inmany ways, as for example, by inserting a spring 21 between the lower face of valve 17 and the spider 22, which guides the stem of valve 17, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. Obviously,

the pressure at which valve 17 will open may be also increased by admitting compressed air into chamber 19, and similarly, if it is desired to have valve 17 open at less than atmospheric pressure, a partial vacuum may be created in chamber 19. A spring, as 25 in Fig. 5, may be arranged to hold valve 17 in closed position, but unless such spring arranged in an absolute vacuum, there is still entrapped air operating in addition to the spring to hold valve 17 in closed position. In the event of an absolute vacuum, which as to connect the interior of the chamber with the external air of lower density and permit the air within the chamber to escape so as to maintain the internal density substantially constant.

The regulator finds one advantageous use in connection with aeronautic engines. Thus, the aviator may fill chamber 19, as described, when the aeroplane is on the ground. Thereafter-he can rest assured that the air, as well as the fuel, supplied to his engine will be kept under substantially the same pressure and density conditions as exist at sea level, irrespective of the variations in atmospheric pressure which obtain while the aeroplane is in flight.

An important feature of the regulator consists in the arrangement whereby entrapped air is utilized as a force to hold the valve 17 in closed position. The entrapped air functions like a spring to yieldingly hold the valve in closed position and has the ad- \vantage of being a simple but accurate means to obtain the desired pressure (usually the sea level pressure of the atmosphere) on the valve. Furthermore, the regulator mayrreadily be made to open at other than the sea level pressure of the atmosphere by simply admitting air at the desired pressure to chamber 19. The use of entrapped air as the force to yieldingly hold the valve in closed position has therefore an advantage over a spring in that the action of a relief valve held closedby a spring alone would be affected by variations in atmospheric pressure."

'The invention is,l" however, capable of other and advantageous nses. For example, the compressioniofthe'air prior to its delivery to the carbureter necessarily results in heating the air, andthe heat' imparted may be varied according to the degree of compression, which, ashas been shown, may .be made of any degree desired. The useful effect of heating the air prior to delivery to the carbureter, acts, as is well known, to

facilitate vaporization of the fuel. This desirable result is obtained in a different manner than heretofore and 1n a manner whlch is particularly desirable since other advantageous results are coupled with it.

Some of such useful results have been already pointed out. It has been shown that the compressor and its pressure regulator may be arranged to supply air at a pressure greater than that of the atmosphere. Thus, is afforded a means for charging the engine with a fuel mixture at increased pressures, which necessarily results in increased power from an engine of given dimensions, since increased weights of fuel may be drawn in and increased compression of fuel obtained. The air before being taken into the engine may be cooled by any suitable means, and in the present embodiment of the invention it is cooled to a degree by the vaporization of the fuel, sothat the heat due to compression by the pumping means is converted into heat for vaporization with obviously useful results.

Thus, I have provided in an internal combustion engine a means for maintaining the constituents of the fuel mixture at a constant pressure. and density irrespective of barometric variations and a means whereby the pressure can be conveniently maintained constant at substantially the pressure of the atmosphere at sea level, or any other de-' sired pressure.

The invention has been described herein in vary in density, means for supplying air I under pressure thereto, a valve for controlling the density of the air in said inclosure, a second inclosure containing entrapped air and having a movable wall mechanically connected to said valve and acting to control the opening and closing of said valve so as to confine the variation in the density of said air to narrow limits independently of variations in atmospheric pressure.

3. An inclosure containing air tending to vary in density and having a port adapted to connect the air within said inclosure with external air, a valve controlling said port, and cans for controlling the opening and closing of said valve, said means comprising a chamber containing entrapped air at a predetermined pressure and having a movable wall mechanically connected to said valve.

' 4. An inclosure containing air tending to vary in density and having a port adapted to connect the air within said inclosure with "to connect the interior of said inclosure with external air of lower densi y, an outwardly opening valve normally closing said port and tending to open when the density within said inclosure exceeds a predetermined amount, and means for closing said valve comprising a chamber containing entrapped air at a predetermined pressure and having a movable wall mechanically connected to said valve, the movement of said -wall being determined by the variations in density in said inclosure, and means for supplying air under pressure to said inclosure independently of said port.

(5. The combination of an inclosure for supplying air to an internal combustion engine and having a port opening to external air of lower density, a second inclosure containing an entrapped gaseous body, and a valve for said support whose movements are controlled by the resultant of the actions of the gaseous pressures within said two inclosures.

7. The combination of an inclosure for supplying air to an internal combustion engine, a second inclosure containing an entrapped gaseous body, a relief valve for said first inclosure, whose operation is controlled by the resultant of the actions of the gaseous pressures within said two inclosures.

8. Controlling means for an inclosure supplied with air, comprising a valve opening to external air of lower density, a separate inclosure containing an entrapped gaseous body and having a movable portion mechanically connected to said valve and actuated by the moving force of air pressure Within said first inclosure and the moving force of the pressure of said gaseous body, said forces being exerted in opposite directions parallel with the line of movement of said portion.

9. Controlling means for an inclosure supplied with air comprising a valve seat and valve for said inclosure, a separate inclosure containing a confined gaseous body and a movable member connected to said valve and actuated by the moving force of pressure of the air within said first inclosure and the moving force of pressure of said gaseous body, said forces being exerted in opposite directions, said second inclosure having a portion in the form of a cylinder and said member having a portion in the form of a piston fitting therein, and a liquid seal between said piston and said confined gaseous body.

10. Controlling means for an inclosure supplied with air comprising a valve seat and valve for said inclosure, a separate inclosure containing a confined gaseousbody and a movable member connected to said valve and actuated by the moving force of pressure of the air within said first inclosure and the moving force of pressure,.-of said gaseous body, said forces being exerted on said member in opposite directions parallel with the line of movement of said member,

said valve and said member having a common axis and moving in a direction parallel to said axis;

11. Controlling means for an inclosure supplied with air comprising a valve seat and valve for said inclosure, a separateinclosure containing a confined gaseous body and a movable member connected to said valve and actuated by the moving force of pressure of the air within said first inclosure and the moving force of pressure of said gaseous body, said pressures resulting in said forces being exerted on said member in opposite directions parallel With the line of movement of said member, the surfaces of said member subject to said opposing pressures being approximately equal in area.

12. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of a power-operated compressor arranged to produce pressure of the air at the air inlet, controlling means exposed to atmospheric pressure to maintain such air at a predetermined pressure for a given atmospheric pressure, and means for preventing variations in the pressure of the atmosphere from affecting said controlling means and the air supplied to said engine.

13. Means for supplying air at approximately constant pressure to internal combustion engines at varying altitudes, comprising the combination of an inclosure for air whose pressure tends to vary, poweroperated means for supplying air thereto, a relief valve for said inclosure, adapted to connect the interior of said first inclosure with the atmosphere, means for exerting a 7 closing force on said relief valve at a predetermined atmospheric pressure, and means for automatically varying the valve closing force inversely as the atmospheric pressure varies.

14. A relief valve, comprising a casing having a passage for connection to a supply pipe, a chamber at all times communicating with the atmosphere and a cylinder oneend of which communicates with said chamber, a valve-operable to connect said passage and chamber when the pressure in said pipe exceeds a predetermined value, and a piston in said cylinder connected to said valve, said cylinder adapted to receive an entrapped gaseous body to support said piston and .yieldingly hold said valve in closed position.

15. A relief valve, comprising a casing having a passage for connection to a supply pipe, a chamber at all times communicating with the atmosphere and a cylinder one end of which communicates with said chamber, a valve operable to connect said. passage and chamber When the pressure in said pipe exceeds a predetermined value, and a piston in said cylinder connected to said valve,-said cylinder adapted to receive an entrapped gaseous body to support said piston and yieldingly hold said valve in closed position, the adjacent faces of said valve and piston being equal in area, Whereby the effect of atmospheric pressure on the relief valve is neutralized.

FREDERICK (1.. GUERRLICH. Witnesses:

Mrs-R. L. OFFEN, MOLLIE GALLOWAY.